Cillian Murphy is known for playing infamous kingpin Thomas Shelby on Peaky Blinders, and his starring role in Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer presents him with the same challenges as the period series set in Birmingham, England after WWI. Oppenheimer details “the father of the atomic bomb” J. Robert Oppenheimer from his star-making leadership of the Manhattan Project through his darkest days following an FBI investigation for suspected espionage. Piggybacking off of the immense notoriety Murphy has claimed playing Shelby, it marks his first starring role in longtime collaborator Nolan’s films.
Both the British crime drama and the biopic don’t pull any punches with their leads, and if Peaky Blinders is any indication of the depths Murphy will go to in order to convey moral anguish, Oppenheimer will be an unflinching look at a man responsible for holding the worth of human lives in his hands. As Murphy prepares to finish Tommy Shelby’s story in the Peaky Blinders movie, the challenges of both roles may share common ground. While they share a number of differences in narrative structure, and Peaky Blinders is also much more anachronistic with its use of modern music, they both draw their source material from real events.
Oppenheimer Repeats Peaky Blinders’ History Challenge
While Nolan’s Oppenheimer will no doubt have its fair share of creative embellishments just like Peaky Blinders, both are still confined by their historical narrative, which presents a unique challenge. Oppenheimer was a real person, as were the people in his life like Lieutenant General Leslie Groves (Matt Damon), which means their storylines need to be handled truthfully in the same way that Peaky Blinders does with real-life politicians like Oswald Mosley. This puts a governor on the type of story that can be told and how it can be framed.
Being in service to historical accuracy isn’t always a bad thing, however; Oppenheimer is about more than his deadly invention, and exploring all the other dark avenues of the physicist’s life makes him seem more human. And while Tommy Shelby never existed, he was based on real kingpins with real criminal enterprises, the stories of which have never been told due to most period series favoring the upper class. Oppenheimer must find a way to tell a truthful story about a controversial subject in a way that entertains as well as takes its responsibility seriously.
Why Oppenheimer Might Make Peaky Blinders’ Ending Harder
Oppenheimer’s constraint from historical accuracy as well as a narrow amount of deviation from a truthful narration will make Peaky Blinders’ ending more difficult. Even though he’s fictional, Tommy’s narrative has to be structured around the history of his time. Therefore, it will make it incredibly difficult for Tommy to win against his enemies because their history cannot be changed to suit his altruistic sensibilities.
Not only are Peaky Blinders and Tommy Shelby’s ending constrained by history, but the ending of the saga could also feel pressure from Oppenheimer as well. The physicist regretted ever creating nuclear weapons, offering the chance for Murphy to explore a redemption arc in the movie, something that might feel too similar if he attempted it in the Peaky Blinders film. Without venturing into a revisionist territory, it remains to be seen how each film will handle the controlling forces of history, but one thing can’t be questioned – Murphy’s ability to rise to such a challenge.
key release date
Oppenheimer
Release Date:2023-07-21
